Washington in October--suggestions?

[steelfrog]

Ok. Headed to Washington again Oct 1-5. Reasoning is two-fold: forecasters are saying that El Niño means warm and dry for NW. Second, Oct 1 means no permits required.

 

Also, cost is right--flight and car to Seattle is $400

 

Anyway, done Rainier, Tatoosh, Olympics, some Noryh Cascades.

 

I was thinking of Alpine Lakes/Enchantments, Mt Stuart, possibly Baker, possibly Glacier, possibly North Cascades. Really leaning toward Alpine Lakes region

 

Anyway, suggestions? Washington is awesome, after all...

 

Many thanks!

[ivan]

sounds like you already have plenty of ideas, now you just have to hope the weather don't suck

 

i'd put stuart and dragontail high on your list - you can likely manage some cragging at least if the weather craps out.

[DPS]

If the weather is good, then alpine rock is where it is at. NE Buttress of Colchuck, North or WEst Ridge or Ice Cliff Arete of Stuart, something on Prusik Peak, North or West Ridge of Sherpa.

 

Washington Pass could be great too. NW Corner on NEWS, East Buttress Direct or SW Buttress of SEWS, Beckey Route on Liberty Bell, all the wine spires, Kangaroo Ridge area...

[montypiton]

"Golden Week" in the upper Enchantments: Back in the 'eighties and nineties, Bill & Peg Stark (they named most of the features in the Enchantments) would hike up to Lake Viviane at the beginning of October, and spend the entire month there watching the larches turn. your timing is perfect, and Lake Viviane is just below the south face of Prusik Peak, dead center in the Enchantment basin. If I had your time window, I would not even consider going anywhere else...

-Haireball

[genepires]

Heard from a mtn guide that the south side of baker was pretty bad right now. Can only imagine the BS pain in the ass it will be by october. In normal years, the south side of baker is a pain by early september.

 

other than glacier type climbs, really everything should be good for your time frame.

 

+1 to what Curt said above.

 

 

[steelfrog]

Thanks guys; I appreciate the advice.

 

So, I did get a Stuart Lake permit for the entire 5 day period. I realize that's a ways from the Core Enchantments. Advice?

 

I've been looking at Sherpa, Stuart via Sherpa Glacier, etc--but am certainly open to suggestions.

 

Thanks!

[montypiton]

Got a close up view of the north side of Stuart from "Axis Peak" (highest point on ridge dividing Stuart Lake from Eightmile Lake) on 8/2 -- Sherpa, Ice-Cliff, and Stuart glaciers all looking extremely lean. No snow at all in couloirs above, not even in Stuart Glacier Couloir. Rock routes - N. ridge Sherpa, Ice Cliff Arete, N. Ridge Stuart, Valhalla Buttress, Razorback Ridge, NW Buttress, and W. Ridge all easily accessed, but I would steer well clear of the couloir routes. Yes, this does put you some distance from the Enchantment basin. With a map of the Enchantment permit area, you can skate around the permit system by camping or bivouacing just outside the permit area boundary. I guess the main issue would be deciding how important to you is "Golden Week". If high quality climbing is enough, then it sounds like you're set for Stuart. If you want the Golden Week experience, it may be worth your while to pick up a copy of the permit area map, and do some homework...

-Haireball

[glassgowkiss]

Sometimes this could be the best season for mix alpine high up.

[Jacob Smith]

I would avoid the Sherpa glacier that late in the year, I tried it in august on a more normal snow year and epiced kind of majorly. You should probably count out any and all snow/glacier climbing for your trip, as most of it will be gone and what's underneath is almost never not terrifying, chossy, borderline impassable nonsense.

 

From Stuart Lake the north ridges of Stuart and Sherpa are both accessible, as is any of the stuff at Colchuck lake if you get an early enough start.

 

This also means that there will be no easy way to get down Stuart on the north side, meaning you should count on descending the Cascadian and hiking around over Goat Pass, which is doable but should be expected to take the better part of a day.

[tbunch]

Second, Oct 1 means no permits required.

 

Just a quick note: the permit period for all five permit zones in the Enchantment Permit Area is through October 15, so you will probably need to stay in the zone you have a permit for. Or engage stealth mode, I suppose. The only time I tried that (day tip up Mt. Colchuck) I got caught.

[DPS]

Thanks guys; I appreciate the advice.

 

So, I did get a Stuart Lake permit for the entire 5 day period. I realize that's a ways from the Core Enchantments. Advice?

 

 

Thanks!

 

I think rock routes would be where it is at

North Ride, Stuart

Ice Cliff Arete, Mt Stuart

West Ridge, Sherpa (would require climbing Stuart first)

Descents could be involved affairs.

Something on Argonayt

[Drederek]

Mt Stuart from the ne end of Stuart lake, the west ridge is pretty much the skyline up from the pass and the hills above the lake are the precursor to the north ridge